Drabble: Seventh Year
So far, there was no sign of Harry, Ron, or Hermione at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, and the Hogwarts Express was set to leave in ten minutes. So far, this was not shaping up to be a very good start to his seventh year, and the thought that three of his friends might not come back to school was devastating, especially when Neville Longbottom didn't have many friends as it was. As the clock drew nearer and nearer to eleven o'clock, he resigned himself to the fact that his fellow Gryffindors would not be joining him for their final year and he stepped sullenly aboard the Hogwarts Express.
He walked all the way to the back of the train to find that the very last compartment was occupied by his fellow D.A. member, Luna Lovegood. A small part of him told him to join her in the compartment, especially considering how nice she had been to him the previous year by helping him when he was injured, but another part of him convinced himself that there were likely many empty compartments in the train where he could be alone to sulk. He doubted Luna wanted to be around him when he was in this mood anyway. He walked to the next compartment to find that it was empty and with a sigh, he took a seat and closed the door roughly behind him.
At exactly eleven o'clock, the train departed Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and began its familiar course to Hogwarts. No more than five minutes had gone by when Neville suddenly began to feel uneasy. Something didn't feel right, although he wasn't quite sure what. He stood up and slowly slid the door to his compartment open, not sure where his feet were taking him. They seemed to know where they wanted to go, though, and when he looked up at where his feet had stopped him, he saw that he was once more standing outside of Luna's compartment. He stared silently at her for a moment or two, not really sure why his feet had carried him here. In one bold, unconscious move, however, his arms reached forward and slid her compartment door open. Luna's attention was caught and she looked up at her visitor with wide eyes, a delicate, mysterious smile creeping up in the corners of her lips.
"I was hoping your feet would find their way to my compartment, Neville," she said dreamily.
Neville closed the compartment door behind him and took a seat across from her, suddenly captivated by her large, dreamy eyes. Regardless of the fact that he suddenly felt awkward and that he hadn't a clue of what to say, the feeling of unease he had felt earlier had lifted, leaving him feeling calm, relaxed, and content. As Luna began to converse with him, he had the sudden yet distinct feeling that this year would be alright without Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After all, at least there was still Luna Lovegood.
He walked all the way to the back of the train to find that the very last compartment was occupied by his fellow D.A. member, Luna Lovegood. A small part of him told him to join her in the compartment, especially considering how nice she had been to him the previous year by helping him when he was injured, but another part of him convinced himself that there were likely many empty compartments in the train where he could be alone to sulk. He doubted Luna wanted to be around him when he was in this mood anyway. He walked to the next compartment to find that it was empty and with a sigh, he took a seat and closed the door roughly behind him.
At exactly eleven o'clock, the train departed Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and began its familiar course to Hogwarts. No more than five minutes had gone by when Neville suddenly began to feel uneasy. Something didn't feel right, although he wasn't quite sure what. He stood up and slowly slid the door to his compartment open, not sure where his feet were taking him. They seemed to know where they wanted to go, though, and when he looked up at where his feet had stopped him, he saw that he was once more standing outside of Luna's compartment. He stared silently at her for a moment or two, not really sure why his feet had carried him here. In one bold, unconscious move, however, his arms reached forward and slid her compartment door open. Luna's attention was caught and she looked up at her visitor with wide eyes, a delicate, mysterious smile creeping up in the corners of her lips.
"I was hoping your feet would find their way to my compartment, Neville," she said dreamily.
Neville closed the compartment door behind him and took a seat across from her, suddenly captivated by her large, dreamy eyes. Regardless of the fact that he suddenly felt awkward and that he hadn't a clue of what to say, the feeling of unease he had felt earlier had lifted, leaving him feeling calm, relaxed, and content. As Luna began to converse with him, he had the sudden yet distinct feeling that this year would be alright without Harry, Ron, and Hermione. After all, at least there was still Luna Lovegood.